The basolateral amygdala dopamine system shapes dynamic drug seeking states https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.29.755395v1
Bella Green
@izzabellagreen.bsky.social
MD/PhD Candidate at University of Minnesota’s MSTP in Saunders Lab 🧠 Interested in intersections between addiction neurobiology and sensory processing.
Very excited to share our new preprint. We identify the basolateral amygdala dopamine system as an important interface between dynamic shifts in the environment and decisions to engage in vigorous drug use. Really challenging studies led brilliantly by Dr. Megan Brickner.
The basolateral amygdala dopamine system shapes dynamic drug seeking states
Drug-associated sensory cues and contexts exert powerful influence over drug seeking motivation, but in vivo brain mechanisms governing this process remain unclear. Here, we recorded and manipulated d...
biorxiv.org
Grateful to train alongside the best crew (ft @sethweir.bsky.social and @louisakuper.bsky.social) under the best mentorship (thank you @bensaunders.bsky.social!) and have the opportunity to learn and share our work at Pavlovian 2026! 🧠
AI did not discover a cancer vaccine. Scientists discovered it because their research was supported and funded.
Across 810 conversations, an evaluation framework finds that AI chatbots often amplify simulated users’ psychological vulnerabilities, revealing persistent safety risks in mental‑health contexts.
A clinically validated framework for auditing AI chatbot behavior in mental health interactions - Nature Medicine
Across 810 conversations, an evaluation framework finds that AI chatbots often amplify simulated users’ psychological vulnerabilities, revealing persistent safety risks in mental health contexts.
dlvr.it
So excited to share the news! I'm immensely grateful to NIMH for their support, and to my amazing mentors @nicolagrissom.bsky.social and @bensaunders.bsky.social for their guidance toward achieving this milestone. Feeling pretty proud of this one ☺️
Ben Saunders@bensaunders.bsky.social · 2mo agoHuge congrats to @micaelaporod.bsky.social on her new NRSA fellowship!!! Proud to be part of this dream team project along with @nicolagrissom.bsky.social.
I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful
Excited to share that I received an NoA for my F31 NRSA fellowship today!! Many thanks to the NIMH and so grateful for all the support I have received to reach this milestone, especially the amazing @bensaunders.bsky.social
Loved being invited to give the JEDI keynote at the UMN MD/PhD program’s annual retreat 💖
Looks like a very useful neuroscience funding searcher from the good folks @thetransmitter.bsky.social
Neuroscience Grants Funding Finder
Discover grants, fellowships and funding opportunities for neuroscience research at all career stages.
thetransmitter.org
I'm looking to hire a research technician/lab manager. This role is ideal for someone looking to gain experience and independence after undergraduate research on their way to graduate school. Please encourage anyone interested to apply: hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/374... (job code 374183)
Careers
The Fraser Lab at the University of Minnesota (https://fraserlab.psych.umn.edu/) is recruiting a full-time research technician to support the lab. As a part of the Department of Psychology we are involved in the greater neuroscience research community at the University of Minnesota which provides excellent access to training and professional development. The Fraser Lab is interested in the neurobiological basis of motivated behavior and investigates how defined brain circuits contribute to behavioral regulation. We make use of modern neuroscience approaches to record and manipulate neural activity in real-time as rodents perform complex behavioral tasks to relate precise aspects of neural activity to well-defined psychological processes. To do so, we regularly use optogenetics, chemogenetics, calcium imaging, biosensors, pharmacology, and immunohistochemistry. Our ultimate goal is to decipher the neural mechanisms regulating behavior and to characterize how these are altered in psychiatric illness, such as addiction, or by differences in lived experience, such as after early life adversity, to potentially identify novel therapeutics. We seek a team member who can play a lead role in lab operations, collaborate closely with the PI, and engage in team-building and growth.Duties:Laboratory logistics, maintenance and operations (30%):
hr.myu.umn.edu
Check our new work! Studies led brilliantly by @louisakuper.bsky.social. We investigate the parafascicular thalamus as an interface of sensory, attention, and movement signals that guide exploration and cue-related learning.
bioRxiv Neuroscience@biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 4mo agoThe parafascicular thalamus steers attention to facilitate learning https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.18.733204v1
ALRIGHT EVERYONE HERE IS THE OFFICIAL SUFS GUIDE TO LEAVING PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE OMB-2026-0034 PROPOSED RULE: www.standupforscience.foundation/policy-and-advocacy/the-sufs-guide-to-writing-public-comments (share with all your friends!)
The SUFS Guide to Writing Public Comments — Your Site Title
Written by: Cole Donovan, Director of Policy and Advocacy and Colette Delawalla, PhD, CEO
standupforscience.foundation
N. W. Antonio, I. B. Abdurakhmanov, A. E. Gayosso, A. S. Kadyrov: Electron loss and target excitation in keV-energy proton collisions with B and C$^{+}$ https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.10669 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2605.10669 https://arxiv.org/html/2605.10669
Another PhD! Huge congratulations to Dr. @margestelzner.bsky.social!!!! She completed a fantastic dissertation defense yesterday. We are all really proud!
Huge congratulations to Dr. Megan Brickner!!!! She completed a stellar dissertation defense yesterday. We are so proud!
Some #FluorescenceFriday content for you - check out these anterior cingulate cortex neurons that project to the superior colliculus. Image by @izzabellagreen.bsky.social 🧠
So stoked to have our image on the cover of this week's issue of Journal of Neuroscience!! @sfnjournals.bsky.social #JNeurosci #SfN25. Check out the final version of the paper here www.jneurosci.org/content/45/4...
Superior Colliculus Projections Drive Dopamine Neuron Activity and Movement But Not Value
To navigate dynamic environments, animals must rapidly integrate sensory information and respond appropriately to gather rewards and avoid threats. It is well established that dopamine (DA) neurons in...
jneurosci.org
#SfN25 attendees - make sure to head to the posters when you get to the meeting on Saturday afternoon (V7-V11: Gretchen, Megan, Margaret, Louisa, Bella) and Sunday morning (KK17: Micaela) to hear about our work. We're printing the posters now and they look rad.
If you're heading to #SfN25 in a couple weeks, pop in early to the posters on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning to see a bunch of cool unpublished work from the lab.
Talk about an in-flight meal. For the first time, researchers have captured rats hunting bats by grabbing them from the sky. Learn more: https://scim.ag/3Jqldmn
Check out our latest, online now at @sfnjournals.bsky.social www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
Superior colliculus projections drive dopamine neuron activity and movement but not value
To navigate dynamic environments, animals must rapidly integrate sensory information and respond appropriately to gather rewards and avoid threats. It is well established that dopamine (DA) neurons in...
jneurosci.org